Bridgestone Tires for Audi E-Tron

Bridgestone, the world’s largest tire and rubber company, has been chosen to join Audi as they embark on a new journey with the release of their first all-electric SUV, the Audi e-tron. The two companies established a list of demands that would highlight the specifications of the new model, from its spectacular acceleration to the in-vehicle comfort and silence, all while ensuring ultimate safety and without any drop in performance. Audi has selected Bridgestone for supply of six different tires from 19’’ to 21’’ – four summer and two winter sizes – as original fitments.

Urgently Funding

Urgent.ly, the leading global mobility and roadside assistance platform, today announced it has raised $21 million in new Series B funding, reflecting the rapid evolution and increasing complexity of transportation and mobility. BMW i Ventures; InMotion Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover’s venture capital fund; and Porsche Ventures participated in the round with support from current investors. The funding round was oversubscribed

Answer Gives Answers for Insurance Discounts for Drivemode

Answer Financial, the operator of Answer Marketplace, the nation’s first telematics-based advertising network, and Drivemode, the automotive technology innovator founded by entrepreneurs from Zipcar and Tesla Motors, announced they are working together to connect drivers with insurance offers based on their optimal driving behavior. Answer Marketplace is powered by Arity, a mobility data and analytics company. Both companies are part of the Allstate Family of Companies.

VW Invests in Forge Nano

The Volkswagen Group is investing US$10 million in the startup “Forge Nano Inc.” with a view to reinforcing its specialist knowledge in the field of battery research. Forge Nano is investigating a material coating technology that could further improve the performance of battery materials. As a partner, Volkswagen will provide support for industrial trials of this technology. The transaction is still subject to approval by the authorities.

Toyota Partners with Panasonic

Toyota Motor Corporation and Panasonic Corporation concluded a business-integration contract and a joint-venture contract toward the establishment of a new company (joint venture) related to the automotive prismatic battery business. The details of the agreements are below.

Toyota and Panasonic will establish a joint venture (pending approval from the competition-law authorities in the countries and regions concerned) by the end of 2020.

Automatic for AutoNation

AutoNation, , and Automatic Labs, Inc., a SiriusXM announced today that customers who purchase a pre-owned vehicle from one of five AutoNation USA stores will be able to receive an Automatic plug-in adapter and introductory subscription at no additional cost.

With Automatic’s app and easy-to-install adapter, most vehicles, model year 1996 or later, can become connected. This means that drivers get easy access to a suite of important safety and convenience features from Automatic as well as service alerts and recall notifications from AutoNation.

AutoNation is the largest dealer group to begin offering Automatic, a service bundle that its AutoNation USA stores will provide to consumers with their pre-owned vehicle purchases to enhance their ownership experience. The five participating AutoNation USA stores are located in Houston, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; Corpus Christi, Texas; Katy, Texas; and Henderson, Nevada.

AutoNation customers with Automatic will enjoy a suite of services, including:

Crash Alert.

Roadside assistance.

Vehicle health and performance monitoring.

Recall notifications and service reminders.

Integration with smart home devices such as opening the garage door, adjusting thermostat, and turning on house lights on your way to or from home.

Bridgestone Buys TomTom Telematics

Bridgestone Europe a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation in EMEA, has entered into an agreement with TomTom to acquire its telematics business, for a cash consideration of €910 million.

The transaction will bring together the world’s largest tire and rubber company with the number one provider of digital fleet solutions in Europe, creating a leading data platform for connected vehicles.

Waymo to Build Cars in MI

Waymo iannounced that it will house factory in Michigan, as the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) voted to approve our effort to establish a manufacturing presence to build self-driving vehicles in the state.

Waymo will first identify a facility in Southeast Michigan and, over the next few years, aim to create hundreds of local jobs in the community.

VW Invests in Forge Nano Battery Tech

The Volkswagen Group is investing US$10 million in the startup “Forge Nano Inc.” with a view to reinforcing its specialist knowledge in the field of battery research. Forge Nano is investigating a material coating technology that could further improve the performance of battery materials. As a partner, Volkswagen will provide support for industrial trials of this technology. The transaction is still subject to approval by the authorities.

Volkswagen has been collaborating with Forge Nano on advanced battery material research since 2014. The startup with headquarters in Louisville, Colorado, is investigating processes for scaling atomic layer deposition (ALD) to create new core-shell materials, especially for battery applications. ALD is a chemical process for applying atomic scale coatings one atom at a time. With its specific ALD technology, Forge Nano aims to boost energy density of vehicle battery cells. For example, a higher energy density would have positive effects on the range of electric vehicles. Volkswagen has been lending their automotive and battery expertise towards Forge Nano’s applied research efforts.